Crimson Servant

The evening breeze blew the crimson window curtains, and the curtains hanging to the ground fluttered like waves. There were no lights on in the room, and the moonlight filtered through the special glass skylight, cutting the shadows into white frost.

Marble steps held up a throne deep in the shadows. The red-robed warlock knelt in front of a high-backed chair, his head soaked in the mind flayer's slime.

Mariana's tentacles only stayed on John Kemp's head for a few minutes. The Mind Flayer's claws smoothed the wrinkles on the warlock's clothes and lifted his jaw, causing John to raise his head and open his eyes.

[The shadow area in your head covers almost the entire cerebral cortex. I can't help you anymore, John. I think no one can ignore your wishes and penetrate your thoughts. Your consciousness has been integrated with the power of crimson. 】

"It doesn't matter, Mariana, this is normal."

After merging with Wiltis's personality, John Camp can feel the change in his spirit more and more clearly. The warlock's mind became at ease. After seeing through the nature of the crimson god, he no longer had any fear of the demon god.

"I just accepted my other self."

Tonight's mental reorganization was over. Mariana's personality made it difficult for her to treat the night together as a pastime like John did, so it was likely that there would be no more late-night visits from the Mind Flayer in the future.

John didn't feel too disappointed about this.

The psychic tentacles slowly extended, entwined with the mind flayer's swinging tentacles.

Mariana's eyes lit up red, and the mind flayer's spiritual network prompted them to obtain far more intense happiness than physical contact in the brief exchange of information. This is a more efficient way to communicate, and it feels like you are experiencing the other person's life personally.

"Have you repelled Count Smale's troops?" John's eyes widened in surprise. Mariana seized the power of the Blood Zone when the Mind Flayer fleet attacked. If she hadn't ordered him to pursue the shell ship , he will definitely stay to assist her.

Without the help of the Crimson Warlock, the Dark Elf Blademaster, and the Shapeshifter Druid, it's just Mariana and the remaining vampires she instigated. John had never seen the mind flayer demonstrate his command level, but from the psychic network, the warlock saw the heroic army under Mariana's command.

"Is it too late for me to make up for the hand-kissing ceremony? Lord Baron Heartbeat." John picked a vampire from those memories and made a joke about Mariana's honorific title.

[It’s too late to start fearing me now. ] The Mind Flayer laughed twice and pushed John's head off his knees.

John dodged Mariana's palm and glanced at the side of the Mind Flayer. A burly gargoyle stood on the side. Its cold stone face had no expression at all, and its small eyes were shining with red light. The gargoyle's hands held a square pillow, and in the middle of the pillow was the black egg sheath he brought back from the Kingdom of Lies.

Mariana seemed to value that thing very much and kept it with her after getting it.

【Very concerned? I can teach you how to use it. 】The words of the mind flayer came at the right time.

John shook his head. The black egg, which had been taken away by the mind flayer and had gone through the cultivation of the mind flayer and the blasphemous ritual, had always given the warlock a strange and alien feeling after he got it back. Warlocks often have the urge to destroy black eggs, but they restrain themselves because of Mariana's needs. John didn't want to touch this thing, let alone leave it with Mariana. However, he respects Mariana's decision, and experience tells John that Mariana is always on the right side.

"I don't need it."

The psychic tentacles conveyed the warlock's vigilance to the mind flayer, who looked into the warlock's eyes and nodded slightly.

Mariana moved on to another topic.

[About Vertis, I am pretty sure that Vertis lied to you once. You are not the personality we trained, John, not the two, three, four, five that Wiltis said. Both I and Nora are very sure that John Camp is the main personality of the Crimson Beloved. Maybe you can ask Francis, he must have a deeper insight into your body sovereignty. 】

Mariana crossed her fingers and continued.

[I have never used the power of the Mind Flayer to transform any consciousness that could be called a distortion. This is my principle, and I will not violate my principle for any reason, even if the target is you. 】

[If you are really created by me, you can imagine that I will not let Nora easily obtain the identity of an adoptive mother. She is slightly inadequate in raising and educating her, relying entirely on emotions and no rules. There is also the herding custom of Druid education, which is most worthy of criticism. If a consciousness is subordinate to me, I will arrange more elaborate arrangements for it and not allow anyone to interfere. 】

The warlock felt strange emotions in his heart. This is the first time Mariana has shown dissatisfaction and competitiveness towards Nora. Perhaps it was the Mind Flayer's psychic network that amplified her inner thoughts, allowing some deeply hidden emotions to finally be noticed by her.

Mariana seemed a little jealous of Nora, to a subtle degree.

John laughed. He immediately changed his mind and tried to calm down the joy in his heart, so as not to let the sympathetic Mariana notice his emotions. It felt like he was teasing her.

"So, why did Wiltis lie to me?"

【You know it yourself. 】

John wasn't sure if his thoughts were revealed, and Mariana's words sounded like a double entendre.

[Because Virtis is another you, who doesn't want to be inferior to you, even when facing you, he will try to be superior. You always like to use some language means to gain an advantage in communication. This is your characteristic, John. ]

The warlock shrugged.

"Okay, you are right."

They communicated mentally for a while, and when both sides felt satisfied, they disconnected the mental connection. The warlock left the mind flayer's room and returned to his flesh and blood hotel.

The gargoyle squatting on the edge of the building kept watching the warlock's movements with blood-red eyes until he disappeared from sight.

Marianna Dale terminated the magic of vision sharing. She knew that she had exposed her inner heart again. The ability of the mind flayer made John's mind more sensitive. She needed to control her consciousness more accurately to maintain the calmness on the surface.

The warlock was changing the subject, but this was what Marianna had been doing.

Hide your feelings, hide your plans, but no matter which side you focus on, the other side will not be able to help but show its head.

Marianna got up from her seat, came to the black egg sheath, and reached out to touch the smooth surface of the black egg.

[It's getting more and more worrying, John.]

[The time is getting closer, we all need to be prepared.]

[If everything goes as planned, then according to Francis's vision, this will be your second life, John.]

A little red light appeared in the center of the dark egg sheath, and the deep red power gathered in the egg sheath, flickering like a heartbeat.